Our plane had stopped in a small Alaskan fishing port, en route to a remote island in the Aleutian archipelago. Alex Gray, Pete Devries, Josh Mulcoy, Chris Burkard, and I knew very little about our destination, but were eager to discover new waves and learn about a coastline devoid of surf cams and reports. We weren’t asking for much—only for the weather to cooperate. But we already had other problems.

"Where is our food?" Chris yelled over the sound of propellers. We stood on wet tarmac and stared into the cargo hold of our prop plane, the whole thing no bigger than a school bus. Boardbags filled the fuselage, padded by heavy-weather armor—waterproof backpacks, 6mm wetsuits, rain suits, goggles, gloves, and gum boots. It was all there, except our food, which was nowhere to be seen.

Only eight people lived on the island we were headed to, so our crew would almost double the population. It would have been more than rude of us to show up without bringing anything to eat. There was no gas station, no police station, no cellular reception, no supermarket, no school, no hospital, and not a single paved road. Our visit required a permit, and the few weeks before winter was the only time we could get one.

As we headed toward the airline’s office to resolve the food situation, Alex meandered around the complex. He spotted a blinking "OPEN" sign hanging in one of the windows and remembered someone telling him that the bars here were for drinking and fighting. The town was an outpost for dangerous jobs and fast cash.

He opened the door and stares from the patrons landed on him like fists. Trying to look at ease, he took a seat between two fishermen, one broad and scowling, the other tired-looking and unshaven. He ordered a beer and asked the men if they lived on the island.

"Hell no," one of them scoffed. "I’m just here to fish."

"I’m here to surf," Alex declared.

The man’s eyes grew wide.

"Good luck," he said.

Just as the beer arrived, Chris appeared in the doorway and waved Alex over. It was already time to leave.

As we hurriedly squeezed into the plane, Chris explained that the cargo company hadn’t loaded half of our food, and that they would try to fly it out at a later date. They just couldn’t say exactly when that would be.

The pilot sealed the hatch behind us. He took a seat up front and began flicking switches and turning dials. As the propellers began to turn, he leaned over his armrest and looked back at us. "You’ll wanna tighten your seat belts," he said. "It’s the only thing that’ll keep you in your seat. The winds are up…and uh…we’re gonna experience some negative G’s."

The propeller’s pitch climbed to a scream and we were up in the air again, streaking through fjords and passing waterfalls that plunged hundreds of feet into the ocean. The plane shuddered, then dropped, then scooped back up, and repeated the sequence. Suddenly, a new island appeared through the cockpit window, a dark wedge that rose into the clouds.

Last week, we kicked off the premiere of SURFER Films with Part I of The Cradle Of Storms - the award-winning 2014 movie directed by Ben Weiland and Bryce Lowe-White, and photographed by Chris Burkard. We're continuing the rollout with Part II of the film and the second section from the SURFER 55.04 cover feature, where Alex Gray, Josh Mulcoy, and Pete Devries discover the cost of dreamlike waves in "The Birthplace of the Winds": a harsh, severe climate that throws their travels, and their safety, into perilous question.

Peter Devries and Noah Cohen, West Coast - Edit Ben Gullivwer Finding Fickle | Afternoon Hustle
We’re so grateful for everything we experienced in 2013 and all the amazing people we shared it with. Thanks for coming with us. Here’s a little video about enjoying your surroundings with Peter Devries and Noah Cohen. Happy New Year!
http://sitka.ca/

Tricks Of The Trade - Part Two - The Pocket Knife
New Sitka Pro Model for Peter Devries

The Pocket Knife is a model developed for anything from knee high to over head and a half. Thinned out high performance short board that holds rail well and fits very nicely in the pocket. Great for airs, tubes and turns.
The board was shaped by Jay Novak and tested by Pete in Southern California.

Filmed & Edited by Ben Gulliver

Vote for this Video at http://www.innersection.tv/videos/pete-devries-updated?sort= SECTION: This section showcases the easy going lifestyle on the west coast of Canada. It was filmed in fickle surf conditions over the course of a year.
SURFER: Pete Devries is a surfer raised in Tofino, Canada's little touristy beach break mecca.
FILMMAKER: Adam Chilton is a shooter based out of Tofino BC focusing on surf/lifestyle images.
MUSIC: Vetiver - Down From Above // Starfucker - Born
SPECIAL THANKS: Family. Friends. The Devries crew - Lisa, Asher, Pete. Many others too numerous to mention for support and inspiration.